Empty shoes recall young abuse victims

Dr. Wendy Wright, Inpatient Medical Director at Rady Childrens Hospital, made a presentation about child abuse in San Diego County to kick off National Child Abuse Prevention The 10 pairs of shoes represent the 10 children who died in the county in 2012, victims of child abuse.
— John Gibbins

Dr. Wendy Wright, Inpatient Medical Director at Rady Childrens Hospital, made a presentation about child abuse in San Diego County to kick off National Child Abuse Prevention The 10 pairs of shoes represent the 10 children who died in the county in 2012, victims of child abuse.
— John Gibbins

San Diego  Ten pairs of shoes representing children who died from abuse or neglect in 2012 in San Diego County sat on a table at Rady Children’s Hospital Wednesday, bearing silent witness to the death of innocents.

All of the victims were 12-years-old or younger. Six of them, as the tiny shoes made clear, were babies, said Charles Wilson, Senior Director of the hospital’s Chadwick Center for Families and Children.

The display was set up to mark National Child Abuse Prevention Month, time set aside every April to promote education and awareness of the issues of abuse and neglect.

The display also included a jar filled with 39,000 pieces of colored gravel — one for every child in 2012 who was hurt at the hands of another in San Diego. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Wilson said as he poured the jar slowly onto the table. “About one in four children, at least, are going to abused or neglected in their childhoods.”

And Wilson said it can affect victims for the rest of their lives, leading to substance abuse, mental illness, depression, cancer and heart disease and a host of other issues.

“The numbers are staggering. The impact is staggering,” Wilson said.

Dr. Wendy Wright, a pediatrician who specializes in child abuse, said just the night before two children suspected of being abused were brought into an emergency room. “This happens on a daily basis,” she said.

To combat the scourge, which affects families across from all walks of life, Wilson said parents and guardians need to make sure they know who their caregivers are, understand the risks of the Internet and to educate children to talk to you if someone is hurting them.

Caretakers who find themselves overwhelmed or under stress should reach out to a friend or a neighbor for support, Wilson said.

And, if you know or suspect that a child is being abused call the county’s child abuse hot line at (858) 560-2191 or (800) 344-6000.

“The fact of the matter is that this is a huge problem,” Wilson said, adding that the more it is acknowledged and talked about, the better.